Quotation sur L’Ecclésiaste 4:4
וְרָאִ֨יתִֽי אֲנִ֜י אֶת־כָּל־עָמָ֗ל וְאֵת֙ כָּל־כִּשְׁר֣וֹן הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה כִּ֛י הִ֥יא קִנְאַת־אִ֖ישׁ מֵרֵעֵ֑הוּ גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃
Et j’ai observé que le labeur [de l’homme] et tous ses efforts pour réussir ont pour mobile la jalousie qu’il nourrit contre son prochain; ceci encore est vanité et pâture de vent.
Footnotes to Kohelet by Bruce Heitler
All of a person's actions, both good and bad, are motivated by instinctive urges which characterize the world of under the sun. Jealousy can be channeled into the development of great skill, into thievery, into scholarship and perhaps even into philanthropy. However, the perspective of what is done under the sun only sees that these instinctive urges (yetzer ha'rah) are the source of futile and destructive actions, that every good action is contaminated by its venal motivation. However, there is another perspective which recognizes that without jealousy, greed, ambition, or desire for fame, not very much would get done. The urgent pressure of hunger, cold, fear or desire for recognition can also motivate a person to accomplish worthwhile objectives.
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